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Grey Stack Rose, 2009 California

I never thought the day would come- the end of summer is *in sight*! Granted, we still have another good 6 weeks of the heat to look forward to, but it IS in sight! I don’t know about anyone else, but this summer has been one of the most uncomfortable that I can remember. Constant air conditioning problems at the restaurants have not helped. So, in celebration of the Summer of Rose coming to a close, I give you one more Rose to get you through the next few weeks! This one is freaking fantastic, too.

Here it is on my ottoman, unglamorously posing next to my purse, headphones, and a Mr. Friendly’s t-shirt. And yes Mom, I know I really shouldn’t sit beverages on the ottoman because they might spill. I’m living on the edge this morning. Hopefully no one can tell that my wine glass has some watermarks on it, too. What can I say, I ain’t perfect. Here’s a slightly better picture that I took at the restaurant the other day:

But dear God if this isn’t as close to a perfect of a California Rose as you could find! I can’t think of a better way to start my Friday then with a little Johnny Cash, a pound cake in the oven, and sneaking in a little half-glass of Rose before I’m even out of my pajamas! I mean, come on- it’s Friday the 13th! That definitely calls for wine before noon. Get this- only 110 cases of this stuff were made! That’s ridiculous considering it’s $18 price tag. I know, I know… sometimes $18 seems like a lot. Poor Grey Stack has sat completely ignored at our last two Saturday wine sales because it’s surrounded by $8-$10 bottles. Sad, sad, sad. It’s seriously been one of the best wines on the table and I don’t know if we’ve sold one bottle. Don’t get me wrong- I love an $8 bottle of wine as much as the next guy, but when a wine is this good $18 is a pittance. You won’t find it anywhere else, either.

But I guess now that I’ve talked it up, I should tell you what it tastes like! It’s a blend of 55% Grenache, 35% Syrah, and 10% Viognier, just to mix it up a little. Amazingly fresh and vibrant, you inhale a gush of fresh, juicy watermelon as soon as you take a whiff. The kind of watermelon you daydream about in mid-February when you haven’t seem the sun in a week and it won’t quit raining. Now I’m starting to feel bad that I’m hating on Summer. I love Summer’s ripe fruits and general carefree attitude. But you gots to admit, these Columbia summers can be a bit much. Back to the wine- watermelon and strawberries dominate the fruit characteristic, with hints of melon, grapefruit, and a beautiful floral bouquet thanks to the Viognier addition. After several deep inhales, I got some lovely notes of Vanilla, too. Natural, clean Vanilla Bean. Yum.

Instead of a celebrity, I’m going to associate this song with perhaps my favorite Summer memory- I was thinking of it last night, and in an interesting coincidence, it just came on my Pandora station as I sit here- no lie! Summer of 2005 at Telluride Bluegrass festival- one of the most amazing places of Earth, or at least the continental US- Emmylou Harris and … I’ll be darned if I can remember who she was singing with, but I was probably the likes of Jerry Douglas- singing The Weight as the sun set over the mountains. I was with a good friend who had almost missed the set and I told him how glad I was that he was there for it. He said “Me too” and gave me a big hug (mind you, he’s not much of a hugger). This wine should make you want to “take a load off”, take a deep breath, and have people you care about around. I really wish I had a good picture I could upload- but here’s one I found that *almost* does that moment justice…. In the meantime, enjoy some wine as the summer dies, hopefully you’ll give Grey Stack a try! Ciao!